Chapter 31: Muddy Rain

Xiulan’s temple throbbed with phantom pain as memories of last night’s duel flickered through her mind. The clash of metal against metal echoed in her thoughts—her spear meeting Ren Chun’s sword in four solid blocks.

Pride had swelled at how she’d maintained her stance, matching his strength. A fear she had silently held was that she’d be weaker than other cultivators physically, which would have made her future path bleak.

But she had managed it. His blows were heavier than any of those she had fought except for Master Qingfeng’s.

But not unsurmountable.

The remembered sensation of executing perfect thrusts brought a slight smile. Her spear had darted forward in quick succession, forcing him to dodge aside.

But then everything changed. Ren Chun slipped past her defenses like water through cupped hands. The world blurred into a storm of strikes. The flat of his blade cracked against her temple as his fist connected with her cheek. Though her cultivation had healed the wounds by morning, the memory stung sharper than the actual hits.

Hoofbeats approached from her left. Ren Chun guided his mount alongside hers on the dusty road.

“Fairy—Miss Lin, why won’t you talk to me? Surely you’re not still holding a grudge for losing, are you?”

Xiulan clicked her tongue. “What kind of idiot goes all out right away? You almost took my head off!”

“But I didn’t know Miss Lin was a novice!” Ren Chun spread his hands wide. “Besides, after that, I did go easy. I even did my best to help you train!”

Xiulan scoffed, and then her hands tightened on the reins. “Then why did you smack my ass on every exchange after that? Did you forget we needed to ride to the village today?”

Ren Chun’s mouth dropped open. “Such a crude word from a pretty fairy!”

Pretty? This idiot wanted her to hit him. She dug her heels into her horse’s flanks, spurring it forward.

“Wait up!” Hoofbeats thundered behind as Ren Chun caught up.

Eventually, they slowed to a trot. He pulled back alongside and looked at her with a stupid grin. “About those favors—maybe we could call it even at one more? Those forty soldiers would have been more of a challenge for you than I thought.”

“I could have handled them easily.” Xiulan clenched her jaw. “I’ve dealt with more on my own before.”

“When did you—”

Xiulan thrust out her hand. “Shush. Look ahead.”

A wagon tilted at an awkward angle where the marshy ground had swallowed one side of the vehicle. The horses shifted restlessly in their traces while several figures struggled against the mired wheels.

“Just some mortals.” Ren Chun shrugged. “Path’s clear enough to pass.”

The travelers’ forms grew clearer as they approached—four men straining against the wagon’s weight, their clothes already splattered with mud from their efforts.

Xiulan pulled her horse’s reins, bringing it to a stop beside the tilted wagon. The marsh’s pungent odor of rotting vegetation and stagnant water filled the air.

“Aren’t you going to help?” She turned to Ren Chun who sat atop his mount with a bemused expression.

The men lined up in front of their wagon and dropped to their knees. Their leader pressed his mud-caked forehead to the ground. “My deepest apologies for blocking your path, noble ones. We wouldn’t dare expect you to soil yourselves for such lowly merchants.”

“See? We can keep going.” Ren Chun adjusted his sword belt.

Xiulan’s eyes narrowed. “I thought you were all about justice?”

Ren Chun shook his head. “What justice? The cart fell in mud—it wasn’t bandits. This might even be heaven’s will, restoring karma!”

“Blind justice proves more evil than blatant atrocity.” Xiulan swung down from her saddle. “At least one has the decency to be upfront about itself.”

The merchants scrambled backward as she approached. “Please, my lady! Don’t soil yourself for our sake!”

Xiulan ignored their protests and waded through the muck. The thick mud sucked at her boots as she positioned herself beside the wagon.

She sank into a horse stance, channeling qi through her meridians just as Qingfeng had taught her. Power surged through her muscles as she gripped the wagon’s frame and heaved upward. The cart lifted free with minimal effort, settling back onto solid ground with a wet squelch.

The merchants prostrated themselves, faces pressed to the earth. “Thank you, fairy!”

“Be more careful staying on the road.” Xiulan wrung the sodden hem of her martial outfit.

“Now your dress is filthy.” Ren Chun wrinkled his nose as she remounted. “You don’t look like a fairy at all.”

“We’re going into a fucking swamp.” Xiulan adjusted her reins. “If we both aren’t covered head to toe in mud by the time we’re done, I’ll be shocked.”

The swamp village emerged from the mist one building at a time. Weathered wooden structures perched on stilts rose above the murky water, connected by rickety boardwalks. Xiulan scanned the shoreline for any sign of stables—they’d need somewhere dry to leave the horses before venturing deeper into the marsh.

Ren Chun broke the silence. “You could spend that second favor on something useful, you know. I could teach you Water Stepping Foot qinggong.”

Xiulan raised an eyebrow.

“Look, watching you get covered in swamp muck would be entertaining, but it won’t help us find the blood lotus.” Ren Chun gestured at the brackish water below the boardwalks. “Otherwise, only one of us ends up filthy.”

“You think you can teach me qinggong that quickly?” Xiulan turned in her saddle to study him.

“Well...” Ren Chun scratched his chin. “I’ve opened three meridians myself, but the qi rolling off you is something else. Should be simple enough?”

“I’ve opened all my meridians,” Xiulan said with a hint of pride. “My Ren Mai, Du Mai, and Chong Mai are clear of blockages too.”

Ren Chun’s mount skittered sideways as he jerked the reins. “You unlocked all five major meridians?”

Xiulan shook her head. “No, I mean all of them. Major and minor.”

Ren Chun blinked rapidly, mouth working silently before breaking into a wide grin. “Haaaah... I understand now. Fairy Lin is an idiot savant! Absolutely unparalleled in meridian opening, and absolutely useless at martial arts!”

“What?” The word slipped from Xiulan’s lips as heat crept up her neck.

Ren Chun’s laughter echoed across the marsh, startling a flock of birds from nearby reeds.

Xiulan pulled her horse to a stop, scanning the stilted buildings of the village before turning back to Ren Chun. “Teach me the Water Stepping Foot now. But it won’t count as a favor.”

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“What!?” Ren Chun straightened in his saddle. “Passing on a technique is definitely a favor!”

“You could have helped with the wagon.” Xiulan crossed her arms. “Or taught me qinggong before we came to a swamp. You knew where we were heading.”

Ren Chun peered at her through narrowed eyes, unconvinced.

“And I won’t hold a grudge for yesterday’s sparring session.”

A snort escaped Ren Chun as he stifled another laugh. “Fine. Free lesson this time.”

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Ren Chun gave Xiulan a dirty look as he glanced back over his shoulder, then pressed forward into the swamp. Both of them were covered in partially cleaned mud from head to toe as they walked on top of the soggy mess with Water Stepping Foot.

Learning the technique hadn’t been hard.

Ren Chun had demonstrated, then explained how she should expand her qi through the meridians in her feet to provide a wide surface to step on without breaking the water.

Her second and third attempts had worked flawlessly.

It was the first one that had detonated a small crater underneath her and vomited a ton of swamp goop on both of them that had been the problem.

The stables in the village had been kind enough to give them cloth to wipe down with and clean up the best they could along with housing for her horses.

But she wasn’t sure if their clothing would ever be recoverable. She’d sort of expected that.

Maybe she’d buy poor Ren Chun a new outfit from one of Blackmere city’s better tailors.

She sort of felt a bit bad for manipulating him. A little.

He sort of deserved it too, though.

But she didn’t think he was entirely a bad person. Just…

Her first impression was right. He was very focused. But there was a little more there than she thought.

Ren Chun suddenly stopped as a thick fog bank billowed from the ground. “We’re entering the wilds now. Be on guard.”

Xiulan nodded, her senses sharpening. “The blood lotus will be deep.”

“Exactly.” Ren Chun’s voice held a note of caution. They both readied their weapons, and Xiulan followed at a closer distance.

The fog thickened around them. After a few minutes, it cleared to reveal twisted trees and dark water stretching endlessly in every direction. The qi density pressed against Xiulan’s skin, making her meridians tingle with an unfamiliar sensation.

“This feels strange.” Xiulan rubbed her arms.

Ren Chun turned to face her. “Wait—this is your first time in the wilds?” He shook his head. “Of course it is. With your martial arts skills, you’d never have survived out here before.”

Xiulan shot him an icy glare. “Just keep an eye out for our objective.”

“A ways for us to go still.” Ren Chun stepped carefully across the water’s surface.

They continued through the eerie landscape until Ren Chun stopped abruptly. “Ready your weapon.”

Xiulan scanned the murky waters but saw nothing beyond the rippling surface. A deafening roar shattered the silence. A massive scaled form erupted from beneath them, jaws wide and teeth gleaming. Xiulan’s muscles locked—too fast, too close.

Ren Chun’s sword flashed in an arc, splitting the creature’s head before it reached her.

The beast burst into dark smoke with a thunderous crack. Qi surged through the air as a small crystalline object plummeted toward the water. Ren Chun snatched it mid-fall.

Xiulan’s eyes widened at the familiar glint. A spirit stone.

A second scaled form burst from the murky depths. Xiulan thrust her spear forward, but the weapon skidded off hardened scales with a metallic screech.

She darted backward, qi wavering beneath her feet. The water’s surface rippled dangerously as her Water Step technique faltered.

The beast’s massive jaws gaped wide, rows of yellowed teeth gleaming in the dim light. Xiulan’s heart hammered against her ribs as death approached—

Ren Chun’s blade plunged through the creature’s skull. The monster exploded into dark smoke with a thunderous crack, leaving behind another glittering spirit stone.

“Is that all of them?” Xiulan steadied her breathing, scanning the murky waters.

“For now.” Ren Chun studied the two spirit stones in his palm. “You know, I planned to split these fifty-fifty, but considering your martial arts...” He clicked his tongue. “Well, they’re so lacking, it doesn’t seem right. I should keep them all.”

Xiulan narrowed her eyes. The spirit stones glowed with tempting power, but she hadn’t ventured into this dangerous swamp for them. And her poor display against the beast left her with little room to argue.

“Fine. Keep all the spirit stones from the beasts we fight. But I claim any blood lotus or spiritual plants we find.”

Ren Chun pocketed both stones with a satisfied shrug. “Deal.”

The qi grew denser as they pressed deeper into the swamp. Xiulan focused on the sensation, noting how Ren Chun adjusted their path based on the energy’s thickness. The technique made perfect sense—like following an invisible gradient into the swamp’s heart.

A splash of crimson pierced through the fog. A massive tree with blood-red leaves materialized, its branches twisting toward the sky like grasping fingers.

“Spiritual tree.” Ren Chun gripped his sword. “There’ll be a guardian. Stay back—I’ll handle it.”

“Ready.” Xiulan tightened her grip on her spear.

A dark shape descended from the canopy. Xiulan’s breath caught in her throat as recognition hit. The creature hovered above them—a mosquito the size of a horse. Its proboscis gleamed like a sword in the dim light.

No. Not mosquitos. Anything but mosquitos.

Ren Chun raised his blade, but the massive insect burst apart. Millions of tiny bodies filled the air, their collective buzz drowning out all other sound. The swarm rushed toward them in a black wave.

Too many. He can’t possibly—

She yanked Ren Chun’s sash, pulling him backward. Qi surged through her meridians as she channeled everything into her right foot. The Water Step technique detonated with explosive force as her foot struck the swamp’s surface.

A wall of water erupted around them. The liquid mass slammed into the mosquito swarm with devastating impact. Thunder cracked across the sky as water met insects, the sound echoing through the swamp.

Qi flooded back into Xiulan’s depleted meridians from her dantian, making her limbs tingle with renewed energy. Each heartbeat pounded in her ears like a war drum.

Ren Chun’s jaw dropped. He stared at her with wide eyes, his sword forgotten at his side.

“I didn’t think you knew any techniques.” Ren Chun blinked rapidly, still staring at the aftermath of her explosion.

Xiulan smirked despite the exhaustion weighing on her limbs. “Water Step.”

“That was Water Step?” Ren Chun’s eyes widened.

A weak laugh escaped Xiulan’s throat. “Didn’t you recognize it? You taught me earlier today.”

“Lin Xiulan’s Water Stepping Foot is ferocious.” Ren Chun shook his head in disbelief.

The qi rippled around the blood-red spirit tree, drawing Xiulan’s attention back to her goal. She scanned the area where the mosquito swarm had dispersed. “There’s no spirit stone?”

“Because you didn’t defeat the guardian—just stopped its dirty trick.” Ren Chun pointed toward the tree’s canopy.

Xiulan focused her senses. The familiar buzz of wings filtered through the fog, setting her teeth on edge. The sound grew louder.

Ren Chun dropped into a fighting stance and gripped his blade. He sprinted forward across the water’s surface, each step creating perfect concentric ripples. Xiulan followed, keeping her spear positioned for a quick thrust.

The massive mosquito swooped from behind the spirit tree’s trunk. Ren Chun leaped skyward, his blade flashing in a precise arc. The creature’s wing separated with a wet snap. As it plummeted, Ren Chun drove his sword through its thorax. The entire exchange lasted mere seconds.

The mosquito’s corpse burst into dark smoke, leaving behind two gleaming spirit stones.

“Well, that was anti-climactic.” Xiulan lowered her spear.

Ren Chun nodded and collected the stones. He studied them for a moment before extending one toward her. “You did help.”

Xiulan shook her head. “A deal is a deal.”

“Hah, well, don’t be disappointed in your deal.” Ren Chun glanced up at the spirit tree’s branches. “There aren’t any fruits, so it doesn’t look like you have any luck.”